Onion exports in January fell marginally to 1.21 lakh tonnes compared with the previous month due to lower export value realisation.

Onion exports stood at 1.33 lakh tonnes in December 2013 as well as in January 2013.

Onion shipments, however, have picked up since December 2013 after the government lowered the minimum export price (MEP) to USD 150 a tonne from USD 350 a tonne.

According to data compiled by the National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF), onion exports declined as the average export value realisation was Rs 9,300 per tonne in January this year, much lower than Rs 18,600 per tonne in the previous month.

In value terms also, total exports were down at Rs 112.53 crore in January this year as against Rs 247.91 crore in the previous month, it added.

During the April-January period of 2013-14, onion exports have declined by 28 per cent to 11.08 lakh tonnes as compared with 15.39 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous financial year.

The government had imposed MEP on onion in September 2013 and then it was raised several times to curb exports and boost domestic supplies as retail prices had shot up as high as Rs 100 per kg in major parts of the country. The country had to even import onion to control price rise.

With improved domestic supplies and crash in wholesale rates, the Centre has now done away with the MEP to boost exports.